Global Economic Crisis Hits Russia's Bashkortostan

UFA, Russia -- The Russian Republic of Bashkortostan is feeling the effects of the global economic slowdown as companies close and workers are laid off.

RFE/RL's Tatar-Bashkir Service reports that major industrial facilities in Bashkortostan are planning to lay off some 3,000 workers in the near future, of which 1,300 are at the motor factory in Ufa, the capital.

Additionally, the Irish-based Queen Group said it will suspend construction of a water park in the capital's Sipailovo district for financial reasons.

The financial crisis has also hit local media outlets, as the St. Petersburg-based Fifth Channel TV company decided to close its bureau in Ufa, and two local periodicals, "Ufimsky meridian" and "Voskresnaya gazeta," have closed.